Cursing Winter
by Dora Penmoko
Summary: Everything is peaceful, until Tohru is kidnapped! But who is this family that has kidnapped her? And what's worse, Uo and Hana are taking matters into their own hands! Will the Sohmas be able to keep their secret quiet while rescuing? Re-write from Pash
1. Back In the Saddle Again

_**NOTE: **_This was originally done by Pash, but she left it, and said I could Take it up. I present to you the unaltered first chapters, and then I will create my own.

Cursing Winter

Chapter 1 - Back in the Saddle Again

Tohru smiled and sipped her tea, gazing out onto the Sohma gardens. Winter is a beautiful season for the gardens, everything is so white with snow, like a shimmering wonderland. Enchanting. She knew this for Akito had said so, the fourth time she had visited him after their first encounter in which he raised fury on her. But now, she was beginning to understand Akito a bit better day after day, and it seemed to be doing Akito well to, he hardly got sick as much and he finally let Tohru see his smile, a sort of one-sided smirk. It made Tohru so happy.

The girl rubbed her hands together and breathed into them, though winter was beautiful, it was so cold! Akito sat down beside her on the porch and looked out to the garden as well. By now, Shigure and Hatori had allowed her to come in unaccompanied, though that was to Akito's wishes of course.

Akito glanced at Tohru, who was marveling at the sight of the garden, and said, "I told you this time of year was the most beautiful. The coldness freezes everything, killing everything."

Tohru nodded, thinking back, "But my Mom always said that it also allows them to start over new as small plants, to let them come up from their hiding places in the ground and grow when winter finishes it's cleaning." She smiled, "I'd like to think of winter as a season that cleans everything for the new spring again, sweeping the past away, saying, 'Come on, time to tidy up for Springtime,' and Spring does indeed come, bringing new life and new possibilities for the dead plants."

Akito looked over to Tohru, thinking about this as the frost nipped his nose. He downcast his eyes and watched the snow drift down. _Then would it bring new life to me?_ Looking over at the girl, he sighed grimly, _Don't be stupid, I'm going to die anyway no matter what._

"But you know," Tohru said, "My mom also said that the winter brings new life to people too, in more ways than one. She said that we people get so tired of the cold that we just wish for Springtime, hoping it will come sooner than it does. Then we start looking at ourselves, thinking back on past warm days and find more than we knew about ourselves. And then, when Spring finally does arrive, you have a whole new prospective on this year, knowing that the winter will not come again until next year."

Akito gazed at Tohru, the snow around them seemed to magnify her beauty to him. She _was_ beautiful, but he sighed and turned away. _Silly thoughts, _he thought to himself, _stupid silly thoughts. I'll never tell her, because it won't do any good. I'll never escape from this house to tell her privately, just like I'll never escape the curse._

~**~

Tohru waved goodbye to Akito and followed Shigure and Hatori out of the Sohma estate. Yuki didn't come this time because of a meeting at the school for the board, and he was president, so he had to attend.

"So, did you have fun?" Shigure asked, having trouble imagining Tohru having fun with Akito of all people.

"Uh-huh!" Tohru nodded, smiling. "I had a lot of fun, really, I did." She caught a snowflake as it melted in her hand, "Akito isn't really a bad person at all --- really he isn't. I'm beginning to understand him a little bit more every time."

"Then that's all that counts," Hatori said in his tedious voice, walking on the other side of her.

Kyo waited on top of the Sohma entrance for any signs of Tohru, she appeared and he quickly hopped down to greet her, "Took ya long enough."

Tohru smiled, "Sorry, Akito and I were talking about winter."

Shigure and Hatori fell behind for a second, looking at each other, then at their surroundings, listening to Tohru.

"...Oh, winter he said was his favorite season. I can understand that. The garden is so beautiful too! You should see it Kyo, Akito has the best view of it too. He's lucky in ways." Tohru said, looking back to the main house one last time, seeing Akito hanging out the window. _He looks so sad...maybe I can ask Shigure if Akito could stay at his house for a while, just to get away from the main house. I'm sure he has never even been out of the main house for very long. _She sighed, _Oh, but then it might be a burden to Shigure and I couldn't ask him of that. Besides...Yuki is still terrified of him._

"Hey, Tohru? Anyone home?" Kyo waved a hand in front of her face and she quickly snapped back.

"Oh! I'm sorry, must have zoned out for a moment there," She laughed slightly. "Sorry."

Kyo rolled his eyes and sighed, "It's alright, just don't zone out again while we're here. You know how I don't like this place." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her forwards, out the gate.

Shigure and Hatori looked at each other with an eyebrow raised - the entrance door slammed in their faces.

~**~

Akito sighed and pulled back into his solitary room and coughed. His time was drawing near. Only a couple more months...he knew it. He stood up and walked into the middle of the room, looking back out the window at Shigure and Hatori both pulling their faces out of the entrance door, then to Tohru laughing.

"I wish I could come with you..."

~**~

Tohru was still giggling as they walked into Shigure's house, holding her sides, but trying not to be rude. Shigure rubbed his head and glowered at Kyo for a second, who turned away - face red with embarrassment.

"Kyo, why did you have to slam it in our faces?" Shigure pouted, sitting down at the dining table.

The cat growled and turned around (with cat ears and tail), "If you would have hurried your damn asses up, that wouldn't have happened!" He crossed his arms and turned away again.

Tohru laughed one last time before turning into the kitchen, "Better get dinner ready." She hummed and set a pot on the stove, beginning to boil it.

"What're we having?" Kyo asked, walking into the kitchen.

Tohru turned around and smiled innocently, "Leek soup."

Kyo keeled over, twitching.

Tohru giggled, "Meso soup silly."

Kyo sat up and yelled, "Don't scare my like that damnit!" He stood up and sighed, saying quietly, "You know I don't like leeks."

"And meso when it's not in soup, I know," Tohru said, fishing through the refrigerator. She closed the refrigerator, arms full of food, and dumped it on the cutting board. "It'll be ready in a little while ---"

"Oh Tohru!" Shigure popped his head into the kitchen, "Could you make some tea for us please? It might be a good idea seeing that it is so cold outside."

The girl nodded, "Your right Shigure, tea will be wonderful." She heated another burner on the shove and set a kettle on it with tea inside.

Shigure stood in the kitchen doorway, with his hands on the top frame, "Say, when is Yuki coming home? He shouldn't let another one of Tohru's wonderful meals get cold."

"Let the damn rat stay where he's at," Kyo muttered, walking out of the kitchen, up the stairs to his room, "He sure isn't missed much."

Tohru ignored the comment, as did Shigure, and said, "Well, he had a meeting at school today ---"

"On a Saturday? My my, I do feel sorry for him," Shigure playfully pouted. "What for though? A school board meeting or something another?"

Tohru nodded, beginning to cut on the dicing board, "He's president you know, for the school year, and a lot of things have happened that the board needs to talk about with him."

"Hmm, just like when Aya was president." Shigure said to himself, and then sighed, "Well, I better be off! My editor will be here any time now, and I have the perfect plan..." He laughed hauntingly and rubbed his hands together, stalking off to another part of the house.

~**~

Yuki sighed and exited the room with the other board members, flipping through some information on paper. He groaned and fit them into his book bag, walking out of the school and down the street.

He checked his watch and yawned, "Ten - thirty already?"

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he started down the long road to the Shigure's house. Cars passed by and the distant sounds of voices could be heard. He closed his eyes for a moment --- and bumped into someone.

"Oh, excuse me." Yuki bowed politely and walked around them until a familiar voice called his name.

"Yuki Sohma, pleasant meeting you here," Saki Hanajima said in her soft voice, turning to greet Yuki.

Yuki turned quickly, "Oh, Miss Hanajima, I didn't expect you to be out here this late."

Hana looked down at the boy beside her, "My brother was at a friend's later than expected, I had to pick him up."

Yuki looked down at the young boy, "Oh! Your brother?"

"Yes, my brother, I have many." She ruffled the boy's head slightly.

The boy squinted at Yuki, as if scrutinizing him repeatedly with his dark eyes. Finally, he looked into Yuki's eyes and said, "A curse hovers over you like a deadly disease, an ancient, powerful curse. It is one I've never seen sister."

Hana closed her eyes mystically, "He intends on not talking about it, it makes him...uneasy." She turned along with her brother, "It was nice meeting you Yuki... I sense that you have much on your mind. About what? I have to wonder..."

The two started into the darkness, disappeared out of sight, leaving a stunned Yuki in their wake. He looked at his hand, "How do they ---"

"Yuki!" Tohru called, waving her hands in the air and running towards him.

Yuki blinked, "Miss Tohru? What are you doing out here?"

"I was worried, so I came to walk you home," Tohru smiled and pointed behind her, "Along with Kyo."

Yuki raised a questioning eyebrow and looked over Tohru's shoulder at the steadily appearing figure of Kyo, sulking along, clearly wondering why he even bothered coming. "Stupid cat," Yuki muttered and followed Tohru back to Kyo, who turned around abruptly.

"Don't be thinking that I actually care. That damn Shigure was getting on my nerves," Kyo said and stalked forwards, leaving Tohru grinning and Yuki sighing.

Yuki looked over, seeing Tohru grinning, and blushed slightly. She looked so beautiful, especially with the lamplight illuminating her flawless face. One day he would get the courage to ask her, one day. However, tonight, her smile seemed troubled, like something was on her mind.

"Miss Tohru, is something bothering you?" He asked as soon as Kyo was far enough away so he could not hear.

Tohru's eyes became downcast.

"Is it Akito? Did he say something to you?" Yuki grew worried.

She sighed, "It is...about Akito, but he didn't say or do anything to me. Either way, you still hate him, don't you?"

Yuki nodded, "I do Miss Tohru, I am terrified of him. But why do you ask?"

Tohru looked back up and smiled the best she could, "No reason." _Though, Akito must be lonely by himself in the main house, never spending any time with anybody...by himself all the time..._ She closed her eyes and they walked together to Shigure's house.

...Not knowing that eyes were following them the whole way...

~**~

A man with long black hair looked from behind a tree, watching Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru walk down the long dirt pathway. A gleaming coin hung around his neck, the symbol of a phoenix engraved on it. He grinned and placed a walkie-talkie up to his mouth.

"Checkmate."


	2. Dawning Trouble

A/N: Still on Pash's copy.

Cursing Winter

Chapter 2 --- Dawning Trouble

Tohru sat at her desk, her head on the smooth cedar surface, looking at her mom for answers. It was late, yet she was still up, thinking. "Oh Mom, what should I do?" She buried her head in her hands and thought. _Akito must be so lonely there all by himself...but if he comes here, Yuki will be uncomfortable, and Hatori will have to come too, to aid Akito when he gets too sick... _She whimpered, _But wouldn't anyone want the chance? Even him?_

Looking at the picture of her mother, she rubbed the frame, "Can you tell me what I should do Mom? I'm so confused..."

**"Tohru, be yourself, that's all that matters."**

"But being myself won't help out at all here. It's something much more than that Mom, much more." And for once, she laid the picture face down, "And your advice won't help...I'm sorry." She sniffed and stood up.

_I've made up my mind Mom, I'm going to ask Shigure if Akito can come live with us, even if Yuki doesn't like it. Maybe, they might make amends?_ Tohru shook her head at the thought, _Maybe not, but at least they might understand each other a little better...if Yuki will allow it, and Akito too..._

She crawled into bed and cut off the lights, "Tomorrow, I'll ask..."

~**~

Shigure yawned and walked into the kitchen to see Kyo drinking out of the milk carton and Yuki dozily snoozing on a wall. He inwardly laughed, his cousin was no morning person, that was for sure.

Tohru turned around and smiled, "Good Morning! How did you sleep Shigure?"

"Good good, you don't have to worry about little old me," He said humorously, making a big show of it.

Kyo rolled his eyes, "You're right about that, we don't have to worry about you." He said and threw the empty milk carton at Shigure --- who's head it hit.

Shigure raised an eyebrow in amusement, "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed --- again?"

The cat snorted and walked out of the kitchen.

Tohru laughed, "Oh no, he just found out that Kagura was coming for a visit in the next couple of days." She said, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Kagura _again_? My, she is persistent, isn't she?" Shigure said, rubbing his chin. "Wasn't she just here three weeks ago?"

"Uh-huh," Tohru nodded, "But she said that she just couldn't keep away from Kyo, I think it's rather sweet."

"And expensive," Shigure muttered, as Tohru laughed, "So...what's for breakfast?"

~**~

"Oh, full full full," Shigure complained resting back from the table, "I can't eat another bite."

Yuki nodded, "Wonderful breakfast Tohru, is there something special today or something?" He laid his chop-sticks down and sat back also.

Kyo nodded, "Yeah, you have been acting rather yippy today, so happy. Is there something planned today or something?"

Tohru's eyes became downcast and she put down her chop-sticks, "Actually yes..."

"Then what is it? Is something special going on today?" Shigure asked, "If your friends are coming over, we need to know---"

"No no! Nothing like that! Besides, Uo is out of town this morning and Hana has to look after her siblings today, but it's nothing like that." She shook her head, clenching her skirt underneath the table.

"Then what is it? You know you can tell us anything." Yuki persuaded softly, seeing Tohru's discomfort.

"It's...it's about Akito..." She bit her lip.

"You don't want to see him anymore? You could have just said---" Shigure was cut short by Tohru politely.

"No no! Actually, it's kinda the opposite," the three guys looked at her strangely. "Have...you ever wondered what it must be like, cooped up in that main house, having every eye on you at some point in the day, and not being able to interact with other people outside of the Sohmas?"

There was a long moment of silence, so Tohru continued.

"I-I just thought that maybe...maybe we could allow Akito to say here if it isn't any trouble. You know, just for a trial run maybe...just to see if he likes it, having a normal life without people telling him that he was going to die every second of the day. Just to let him enjoy life..." She breathed, "Do you think he could...?"

Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki looked at Tohru in bewilderment, then finally Shigure said, "Tohru, you know that Akito needs his assistance when he is ill, and he gets ill quickly you know."

"I-I know, but maybe he won't get sick as much when he has his mind on other things," she tensed, "My mother always said that people usually get sick when they think they are getting sick. If you keep your mind on something else, then you might not get sick as much as long as you are preoccupied with other people. Maybe if Akito comes here, he might not have time to think of his sickness."

Kyo growled slightly, "Akito? Coming here? How could _I_ live with it?" He said and stood up, "He has done more to me than you would know Tohru! He has criticized me---"

"Oh shut up you stupid cat," Yuki said curtly, "you have no idea what he has done to me, mentally and physically. You wouldn't know any of it."

"And how would you know you damn rat!"

"Did he whip you with a switch?! Did he tell you over and over again that you were worthless?!"

"Did he ever make you transform into a hideous beast with your whole family watching?! No!"

"Did he---"

"STOP!" Tohru shouted, out of breath. The two guys looked at her in shock. "Please just stop it. He's not really how he use to be, I mean, he's still mean and I know that everyone in the Sohma family hates him, but what would you do? If someone told you the day you were born...you would _die_?"

The two teens sighed and sat down again, listening to Tohru's explanation.

"He just doesn't know what it's like to associate with normal people. Maybe if he comes here, he might be able to change, you know? He must have thought the way he acts was the only solution to his part of the curse...and maybe, maybe that might cure him."

Kyo and Yuki both sighed and looked away. "Do what you want..." They said monotonously in chorus, waiting for Shigure's reply.

Shigure sighed, "Tohru, you do know what you're asking for, don't you?" Tohru nodded. "Then there is an extra room upstairs he can have if he wants to come with your request. I just hope this doesn't make many problems. Hatori will probably want to stay too, but I'll tell him that he shouldn't."

Tohru smiled, "Thank you Shigure!"

Shigure sighed and nodded, "OK, I'll call now ---"

"Oh, could I surprise him by going there today?" Tohru asked, quickly, "I know that he will want to talk to me about it."

Shigure nodded, "Yes, that might be a better idea. We'll leave as soon as possible, so you better change clothes Tohru."

Tohru smiled and raced out of the room, up the stairs to get changed.

Shigure sighed as Yuki asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea? Is inviting Akito _here_ a good idea?"

Kyo grumbled, "She knows what she's doing."

Shigure nodded, "Yes, I believe that Tohru has something on her mind if she goes this far as to invite Akito here to stay for a while. She must honestly think that this will do him good...and from past experiences, I say that she's right." He admitted and stood up, walking out of the room to get changed as well.

Yuki sighed and stood up, walking out of the room and up the stairs, clearly not agreeing with Shigure's decision.

Kyo laid down on the floor, looking out to the grassy yard, "I _hope_ you know what you're doing Tohru...for our sake and yours."

~**~

Tohru timidly stepped into Akito's room and looked around, "Akito? Hello? It's me, Tohru Honda..." She gulped and walked into the room, taking off her scarf and mittens. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..._

The door closed behind her abruptly with a loud _whack_ and she quickly turned around to find Akito standing in the doorway, wearing his red robe and pale clothing underneath. "Oh, A-Akito, you scared me."

"I didn't know you were coming today," Akito said monotonously, standing tall, he sounded quite irritated. "Didn't I just see you yesterday?"

Tohru nodded, ringing her scarf around her hand nervously, "Yes, but I came back to ask you a question."

"Couldn't you have done it on the phone?" He asked annoyed. "Or was it so important that you came here?" He moved closer with each icy word, very unlike yesterday when he was so calm and composed.

Tohru gulped, losing her tongue. The most inopportune time too. Even though she had been seeing him for a while now, when he was like this, she was scared.

"Well? You don't know? Then get out!" He shot out and quickly grabbed her hair, pulling it. "Out! I don't want to see you again!" Akito pushed her back, still clutching onto her hair, pulling out a mass of it.

Tohru fell to the ground painfully, tears in her eyes. She gripped her head where the hair was ripped from and found it bleeding. Her tongue was still lost in her mouth.

Akito looked at the brown hair in his hand and became infuriated, "OUT! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN! OUT!" He grabbed a switch from the wall and walked up to her, breathing heavily, "You think that you can just waltz in anytime you want, well, you can't! I won't allow that because I can't go anywhere I want to whenever _I_ want to! You have no idea what it's like to be cursed with this! OUT!"

Tohru shuttered, gripping her head where it was bleeding at. "I-I came here to a-ask you..." She found her tongue finally.

"What? If we can become goody-goody friends? Well, we can't! I'm not like that weak Yuki or Kyo! I will not give in---"

"Do you want to come home with us?" Tohru interrupted, biting her lip, finding that Akito had become startling quiet. She heard the switch drop from his hand and hit the wooden floor.

"What...?" Akito asked, his eyes growing wide.

"I-I know that you don't like being here, and so I-I asked Shigure if you could come home with us for a change of scenery, you know, to live normally without everyone reminding you of your illness. So I thought you might have wanted this..." She dried her tears, daring not to look up.

Akito's face filled with guilt for a second as he looked at the hairs in his hand, his heart flittering for a moment, something he had never felt before. _A...normal life?_

"So, we are all welcoming you Akito, to a normal life at Shigure's house, where you can do what you want to do. You can walk around the city, meet my friends, Uo and Hana, and-and do what _you_ want to do. Isn't that what you want? I know that I would be happy if you came, and so would the others too...to get away from this house." Tohru sniffed and let her hand down, the bleeding had stopped. "_I_ would want you to..."

Tohru trailed off as Akito knelt down to her and breathed, "I...don't know..."

~**~

"I can't believe we are doing this!" Yuki hissed, stalking up and down outside, stiff as a board, "Inviting Akito to our house, this is madness!"

"I have to agree with Yuki," Hatori crossed his arms, "What were you thinking Shigure?"

Shigure sighed, "I was thinking of Tohru, you know she always has the best intentions and they usually are the right intentions. Akito has changed since she started talking to him more and more..."

"But this is too early! What if he causes Tohru pain in there?" Yuki's voice quivered a bit, thinking about the horrors long ago.

"He's right!" Kyo spoke up, "What if---"

The door to the main house swung open and the four turned to greet both Tohru and Akito. Tohru's hair seemed a bit in a mess, but no one worried, everything seemed perfectly normal besides that --- for Tohru was smiling.

Shigure turned to Akito, who was wearing a black turtle-neck and pants, with a dark coat and leather gloves with a dark scarf draped around his neck. "So Akito, will you be coming to stay?"

"Yes, I am," Akito said shortly, watching Tohru run down to Shigure and the others, Yuki and Kyo stepping in front of her protectively, but Tohru pushed through them and stood in front of the two baffled boys. "Welcome!"

Hatori nodded, "I won't be coming then, just call me when you need me." He said as a maid came out with a briefcase, who he handed to Shigure.

Akito nodded and walked quickly down the stairs, "Should we go then?"

Shigure nodded and the group started towards the entrance, Hatori escorting them until they exited the entrance and Hatori bid them goodbye. _I hope Akito doesn't loose his temper..._

_~**~_

Outside of the main house in a dense speck of trees, everyone unaware of his presence, the man with long black hair stood and watched the black car drive away from the estate. He smirked and walked out of the trees, his black trench coat billowing out from him. Taking the walkie-talkie from his coat pocket, he lifted it to his mouth and said:

"The King is joining the Queen, the Knight, the Bishop, and the Rook, stand by."

He clicked the walkie-talkie off and pulled his motorbike from the trees, saddled it, rammed the motor, and took off after the car, careful for his fedora not to fall off --- it was extremely special, his mother gave it to him.


	3. Kidnapping A Light

A/N: STILL PASH

Cursing Winter

Chapter 3 --- Kidnapping a Light

Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, Shigure, and Akito arrived home about thirty minutes later, Akito staying quiet most of the time --- both Yuki and Kyo staying clearly away from him. Tohru hopped out of the car and checked her blue watch.

"Oh no..." She sighed and tapped her watch with her forefinger, "I have to go, I have work tonight..."

"On a Sunday?" Kyo asked in a surprised expression on his face, "Why? You usually never have to go to work on Sundays."

"Oh, I volunteered to cover for Mrs. Hatu---she broke her leg and hardly has any money, so I'm working on her account tonight along with some other people." Tohru said as though it were the simplest thing in the world. "I'll be home around ten, so you don't need to worry."

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Yuki asked, Akito giving him a rather disgusting look in the background.

"No," Tohru shook her head, "I'll be fine, really, besides Yuki, you have to study for a test tomorrow, but I do too, but I won't worry about that, I'll study when I get back and I'm babbling, see you later then!" She waved and rushed off down the dirt road to the main street.

Shigure sighed, "Well, that's Tohru for you, come on Akito, I'll show you to your room." He said and picked up the suitcase.

"I can carry it," Akito said in his cold manner and yanked the suitcase from Shigure's hand, "I'm not all helpless."

Shigure rubbed the back of his head, "Oh, right..." He lead Akito to his room while Yuki and Kyo both stood outside, listening for Tohru's footsteps to echo away.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Kyo asked, awfully quiet.

"She'll be fine," Yuki shrugged, "Besides, what can get to her?" Kyo glared. "Ah, sorry..." Yuki looked back down the dirt pathway, then at Kyo and muttered, "Stupid cat!" while racing off down the road, Kyo closely following.

"Same to you damn Rat!"

Tohru sighed, walking down the sideway, hardly no one else passing her. "It's awfully quiet..." she muttered as a car zoomed by quickly, blowing her hair in all directions. She stopped for a second to shiver at the coldness that nipped her nose, then trekked on, the building not much farther ahead.

In the pits of her stomach, she started getting this terrible feeling of foreboding...maybe she should have taken Yuki's offer up, walking alone was a bad idea...especially tonight for some reason.

"Oh!" She tripped and stumbled, colliding into a man's chest who she didn't notice a second ago. The figure caught her and steadied her upright, stroking her brown hair playfully. Tohru didn't like this and shoved away on instinct.

"Miss Tohru Honda..." The man said, his gruff, raspy voice sent chills down the girl's spine, "I've been looking all over for you."

Tohru gulped. She might not have been the brightest bulb in the package, but she did know that this man was trouble --- for _her_.

The man stepped closer, "You're a naughty girl, you know," he lifted his black fedora a little, so that the lamplight shone on his pale face and sunken hollow cheeks, dark eyes peering at the girl. "Staying with the Sohma's if a very naughty thing to do, especially when they know good and well that we are watching over their every move."

"W-We?" Tohru stuttered, backing up into a light post, the man came within inches to her nose.

"Yes buttercup, we..." He extended a nimble finger and caressed her face (PERVERT!), smiling wickedly. "Now, come with me and everything will be fine..."

Fear bubbled up inside of Tohru like soda pop in a shaken can. She trembled and closed her eyes, feeling the man's cold breath on her neck, so she did the only think possible.

She screamed.

She heard other voices in the distance and recognized them instantly, her heart welding with joy. So she wasn't alone as she had thought before.

The man turned quickly to see both Kyo and Yuki racing towards them as fast as they could go. He growled and glared at the girl.

"Put her down you bastard!" Kyo shouted in rage.

"Unhand Miss Honda!" Yuki shouted, words sharp and quick.

The man snorted and quickly put a hand over her mouth, shoving her back onto a parked motorbike, hopping on behind her, and driving away quickly. Kyo and Yuki both stood helplessly watching. What could they do? _Nothing._ The man thought in satisfaction as the unconscious Tohru Honda rode in front of him, laying across the seat --- she was knocked out from the fall backwards, hitting her head on the metal motor of the bike.

Kyo and Yuki watched as the man drove off into the distance with the only person who ever really knew them --- their only real friend. Soon the sound of the engine wasn't heard anymore and the hearts of the two plummeted.

Kyo dropped to his knees, hitting the ground with his fists, "Damn it!" he shouted, bowing down to the sidewalk, his hands over his head and shoulders sobbing.

Yuki looked at his nemesis crying, very unlike Kyo, and dropped to his knees also, heart still pumping in his ears with exhaustion. He ran his nimble fingers through his hair, eyes stinging with the tears ready to break free. "Miss Honda..."

Both boys then called, not planning to do so, in chorus, "TOHRU!!"

Saki Hanajima dropped the plate she was cleaning into the sink and quickly steadied herself on the counter. _Tohru's energy signals...they were distressed._ She thought worriedly and turned around racing out of the kitchen, taking her black apron off, and pulling on her black trench coat, starting out the door --- but was stopped by her younger brother.

"Sister, where are you going?" He asked, walking out of the living room. "I sense a particular curse on fire in the city..." His voice was almost as non-emotional as his sister's.

Hana looked at her younger brother, as if to scrutinized him. "Megumi, dress warmly, we are going out."

"You sensed something too?"

Hana leaned on the doorway sadly and nodded, "Yes, now get dressed."

Megumi nodded and raced up the stairs for his coat and scarf. It was rather cold outside. He came back down and followed his sister out the door and down the street.

"The curse I sensed is not this way, or are we going to Uo's first?" Megumi asked, blowing into his gloves to keep his hands warm.

"I always contact Arisa before I do anything." She said nonchalantly, walking faster, "We better hurry, I sense other auras spiking too."

They reached Uo's to find her pacing at the door. She spotted them and quickly ran down the stairs of the apartment building to them, "Something has happened to Tohru! I just know it!" She said upset and quickly walked past them, the other two turning and following quickly. They were on their way to Shigure Sohma's house.

"Yes, a few minutes ago I could feel Tohru's electric signals spike, then suddenly disappear. Something is definitely wrong." Hana said, her voice showing fear.

Megumi looked at the two older teens and suddenly stopped, the hairs on his back raising up. He gasped and turned around, peering at the darkness beyond the sidewalk.

"Hmm?" Uo turned, "What are you waiting for squirt? Time's wasting."

Hana looked back also, "There are two auras coming close, in distress...very familiar auras."

Uo peered into the darkness as two figures raced towards them. They came into view as carrot-top and the Prince, both looking deeply worried and upset. "Hey, Yuki, Kyo Sohma, what's up?" She asked as the two boys stopped in front of them.

Both downcast their eyes.

"Where's Tohru?" Hana asked, a deep hunch already setting in.

Yuki opened his mouth, then closed it again, biting his bottom lip. He clenched his fists, shaking his head.

Kyo talked instead, his voice quiet, without it's usual spark. "She's gone..."

Both Uo's and Hana's eyes widened at this, Uo stepped forwards with a fist in front, "What in the hell do you mean she's gone?!"

"We mean..." Yuki said softly, "Miss Honda is _gone_...She was kidnapped."

The two girls gasped and then fell quiet, silence settling in like a deadly disease. Each person had their gaze elsewhere, millions of questions running through their heads at once.

...Then all hell broke loose...


	4. Frozen Snow

**A/N PASh**

**Cursing Winter**

Chapter 4 --- _Frozen Snow_

"What in the hell do you mean she was kidnapped?!" Uo shouted, grabbing Yuki's collar and pulling him close, "Tell me you damn Prince! Weren't _you_ suppose to be looking out for her?!" Yuki didn't answer. "Answer me damn it!" She shoved him back into Kyo and stood their helplessly, shuddering in anger.

Kyo shoved Yuki away, "We were. . .but this isn't your business damn woman."

Yuki glared at Kyo for the impolite shove, then turned back to the two women and nodded sadly, "This is our business." Fear rang clearly in his voice as he remembered the man on the motorbike. They _knew_ the man from the past, but only once. Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori dealt with him and his family in the past, but he guessed that the family was back. . .and that was _not_ good.

Before Hana or Uo could protest, the two boys took off again quickly into the darkness. The two friends looked at each other blankly, lost in their own deprived thoughts. Hana's brother brought them out of their ponderings with his soft, smooth voice.

"The curse on them spikes greatly, they are upset beyond their curse's boundaries. Their curse is bound to react to their stress." He said softly, his gaze lowering. "So are you just going to stand here? Or are you going to follow them? Tohru is both of yours friend."

Hana and Ou both nodded before racing into the darkness after the two Sohmas, Megumi following behind slowly. He cared for Tohru, yes, but there was a feeling of foreboding in the pits of his stomach. The Sohma's baffling curse in which hung around them like a leech made him feel queasy and extremely uneasy. It was as if the curse would affect them too if they were pulled into it's eternal abyss. Not literally no, but mentally yes, a part of the vile, sickening curse in which the whole family shared and loathed.

Megumi did not like this feeling.

They turned down onto the dirt pathway hastily, the two women a few meters ahead of the boy. They paced down the dirt pathway quickly, lively, not turning to see if Megumi was following.

He wasn't.

Colors caught the boy's peripheral vision to the right.

Megumi stopped and turned his head to the right to find a white collared shirt lying on the ground with a white jacket and a scarf, black pants scattered a bit further along, a black pair of shoes were lying a bit further than that. He picked them up as he followed the linen trail, the garments sprawling into the woods. The clothes reeked of the Sohma's curse.

Then his eyes caught sight of another pair clothing, this time in a heap. A black shirt along with a red coat and a black scarf, cargos, and tennis shoes. He picked these up too, heavily wreaking with the Sohma curse as well. . .but this one felt different on his weighing mind. This one was deeper somehow. . .

A rustle in the bushes beside him jumped Megumi from his musings as he leaped backwards in fright, falling into the cold mud. Silence echoed around him once more before deciding against his better judgment. Something with the curse lingered in the bushes. The boy gulped and scooted forwards, his senses tingling with the curse just a meter from him, and reached his hand into the bushes ---

--- And found fangs protrude into his pale skin.

Megumi yelped and pulled his hand back, an orange cat hissed in the bushes. "Ow..." Megumi whispered, looking at his bleeding hand, biting his bottom lip. He heard his heart thud in his ears as a familiar voice rang through the air.

"You stupid cat! Why did you bite him!?" The voice spat and Megumi looked around frantically, realizing it to belong to Yuki Sohma. He looked down to see a white rat walk out from the bushes, his face froze in fright.

Snow fell around the boy as the white mouse looked up to him with purple eyes. The eyes looked to Megumi with familiarity.

"Soh...ma? Yuki Sohma?" The boy asked in awe, bending down to the white rat. Yes, the vibes of the curse on Yuki and this rat were the same. He could not believe this! Could a curse actually do this. . .?

The rat nodded, "Hello Megumi," he greeted politely, "So where are Miss Hanajima and Miss Outani?"

Megumi nudged his head down the road, licking his chapped lips, "They left me behind in a hurry to your house."

The rat nodded in relief and turned back to the bushes.

The cat sulked out and Megumi scooted back slightly, not wanting to get bitten again. Distance was a good thing at the moment. "Is this your curse?"

The two animals looked startled.

"What do you know about the curse?!" The cat shot, growling.

Megumi whimpered and scooted back further, digging his heels into the cold, frozen ground roughly, rubbing his bleeding hand. "Kyo Sohma?" He blinked, confused, unlike his usual calm self. But this was no calming matter, those teens were animals!! Literally. . .

The cat looked away in acknowledgement ---

---And a _poof! _resounded in which colored smoke billowed out as Megumi yelped, startled, and found himself scooted all the way back to the road. He was glad he had windbreaker pants on. . .his behind was not wet --- yet.

The two teens dived into the bushes quickly, shivering. They hoped nothing indecent was shone. Megumi didn't even need the question asked. He quickly threw their clothes to them and closed his eyes. This was not happening, this could not be real!

This was real though, and moments later he found Yuki helping him up. Megumi slowly opened his eyes to find Kyo waiting patiently in front of him, his black scarf in his hands.

Megumi looked up at him quizzically, rubbing his bleeding hand. Rubbing his hands was a usual thing for him. He would rub them together when he was scared, unsure, or musing. Sometimes he would even rub blisters onto his hands, welts which scared his hands --- though none had scared yet.

"Well?" Kyo said impatiently, "hold out your hand!"

Megumi quickly held out his hand and Kyo quickly wrapped it up in the scarf, "Shigure can look at that when we get home. You shouldn't have snuck up on us like that and this would have never happened!" He growled and tied the last knot in the scarf too tightly.

Megumi winced and took his hand away quickly, rubbing it.

"Damnit! That's the best I can do!" Kyo shouted.

"Stop taking your anger out on the boy you stupid cat." Yuki said calmly.

"Yeah, well he shouldn't even know this you damn rat!"

"It still makes it no excuse to take your anger out on him."

"You know, I'm getting sick of your damn mouth!" Kyo shouted, grabbing Yuki's collar and pulling him forwards, "So shut up!" He pulled a punch back as Megumi's voice broke through.

"Thank you," Megumi said quietly, rubbing his wrapped hand. He really did not want to see a fight today. This was not the time.

Kyo stopped the punch and looked over at the boy, lowering his guard --- as a kick was dealt right to his face and he went sailing into a tree.

Yuki straightened his coat, "Never talk to me like that you pathetic cat."

Megumi raised an eyebrow, "You two act like cat and mouse --- figuratively speaking, sorry. Both of you never stop fighting." His voice was level and composed, unlike his demeanor less than a minute ago. "But we must go, Ou and my sister are probably already at your house."

Kyo picked himself up from the ground and shuffled back over to the road. Yuki quickly passed him as he started towards the house quickly, Kyo was quick to follow.

Megumi stood, watching the two run towards the house. He knew if he set one more foot into the Sohma property, he would be eternally encased in the curse's web, something in which he could never escape. This curled his stomach and clenched his throat. Did he want that. . ?

Kyo looked back impatiently, "What in the hell are you waiting for?!"

Megumi gulped down his fear and ran to them quickly, stopping in between the two in a level jog. "Don't mind me, I'll catch up if I get behind."

Yuki looked down at the boy, "But these woods are not safe alone. There are a lot of strange people that roam these woods."

"You sound as if you have said that before," Megumi said and started forwards a bit faster.

The rat cocked his head and thought back, realizing, "Tohru..."

Kyo raised his eyebrow, but didn't say a word. He remembered too...when Tohru thought him to be a pervert. It was bittersweet...he couldn't stand it.

Megumi's face did not flicker, "So you have said that before, interesting." He closed his eyes, "So Tohru means a lot to you, right?" The two boys nodded in their own way. "Then you shouldn't let anyone slow you down to rescue her if she means that much to you."

Yuki looked down to the boy and thought for a moment, then at Kyo. In an unheard agreement, they both dug their heels into the ground quickly and sped forwards faster and faster. Nothing had to stand their way if they wanted to rescue Tohru! Nothing!

A small smile of satisfaction wrapped it's way onto Megumi's face. Tohru would be saved, and those two would never cease until they had rescued her.

Nothing would stand in neither Yuki nor Kyo's way.

---

Hana and Ou raced to the front sliding door, breathing heavily, and pounded their fists on the door, yelling for someone to answer, praying for someone to answer. The snow outside drifted down leisurely, as if nothing had ever happened. Though if the snow had known of the fire burning in the girl's eyes, snow would have ceased to exist.

A lump grew in Hana's throat as she felt the apprehensive waves of Shigure, the novelist, come running to the door. She could tell he knew nothing...and Yuki's and Kyo's electric signals were nowhere in her radius. _Everything seems so much...so much like a dream...is it?_

Shigure quickly slid the door open and looked quizzically at the two teens with snow in their hair. "Tohru's friends? What are you doing out this late in the cold?" He could tell by the look on their faces something was wrong.

"Where are Kyo and Yuki?" Hana asked in a whisper, catching her breath.

Shigure blinked, "They left thirty minutes ago, I haven't seen them since." There was a long pause. "Why? Is there something wrong? Is Tohru hurt?" His voice quivered in concern. Hana could tell it was the wrong type of concern though. . .not the type of concern for others. . .but the type of concern for _himself_.

Hana whimpered and fell to her knees, tears brimming at her eyes. She hiccupped and bit her bottom lip, trying to stop the tears. "Tohru. . .my sweet Tohru. . ."

Ou looked away leaning on a post on the porch. "No Shigure. . .she's not hurt. . ."

"Then what?" Shigure gulped, trying to hold his heart from jumping into his throat. "What has happened to Tohru?"

Footsteps echoed in the distance as Yuki, Kyo, and Hana's brother ran through the heavily falling snow. They reached the porch and stopped, locking gazes with Tohru's friends.

Words were lost to the snow. . .the drifting snow in which they could not escape, in which froze their tongues and encased their words within their own fearful minds.

Akito ambled behind Shigure, curious to the distress. A grin wound it's way onto his face. What chaotic mayhem had been conceived this time? He gazed at the group as his grin quickly faded into a fearful frown. His heart leaped into his throat. Tohru. . .where was Torhu?

Megumi stepped forwards, the only one who had his words on his tongue. "She's been kidnapped sir, she's gone."

. . .And the snow fell. . .

. . .Fell like frozen tears down his cheeks. . .


	5. Eternal Memory

**A/N:** STILL ALL Pash.

**Cursing Winter  
**_Chapter 5 --- _Eternal Memory

Drip.

Drip..

Drip...

Drip...

The melted snow dripped through the patched house like a cold drizzle on a winter's eve. Only the corners, in the shadows, were the driest, darkest places in the house. The light drifting from those few patches reflectedthe misty blue of a snow-covered moon,for every other opening was barred and nailed.

Privacy and seclusion.

The drippings echoed in Tohru's head like voices persisting her into the vast wasteland of voices. So many voices it made her clamp her hands over her ears and grit her upon whispering words clouded, rushed, coiledthrough her every fiber, voicesshe knew and would always know, yet they were so far. So far she couldn't understand those simple words.

It was a modification of Chinese Water Torture. A cheaper, darker kind that pitted Tohru not against her own instinct to live, but her reality and the shadows around her. Where did the echoes stop and the voices begin?

Others accompanied her in the small house, a family of six. Tohru traced her gaze to the first person she had seen, which was an older woman filing her long dark nails. She had lush, lengthy black hair and skin as pale as moonlight. A witch, was the first thing Tohru thought. A witch drabbed in black, a nightmare with a whispery voice.

The woman hummed merrily, her eyes as sharp as razorblades. "Oh, don't be sad now deary!" She said happily, occupied with her nails. "There is nothing to be afraid of! We aren't cannibals or anything. We are merely bounty-hunters for the Sohmas. They multiply like rats!" She laughed and then stopped herself, realizing her folly, "Oh, but isn't one of the Sohmas a rat?"

Tohru remained quiet, but inwardly, she flared with brimming hatred, the first for her. The first time she had ever felt hatred for anybody and in moments, tears wielded in her eyes. She hated it. She hated herself for thinking such a thought, for feeling hatred towards anybody.

She wished she could run. Run far, far away.

"Rats are dirty, vile creatures with no sensitivity. And look at that poor Sohma cursed with the rat spirit!" She flicked out a picture of Yuki from her breast pocket and grinned, "Such a precious and delicate face to hide such a vile nature, don't you think?"

"Yu-Yuki is n-not d-disgusting," Tohru sputtered out. "He's nice and s-sensitive to others. He has better qualities in one fingernail than you do in your whole body!"

The woman laughed, "Ooh, so she does have some spunk after all, doesn't she?" She smiled viciously and turned the picture over so she, herself could see it. "Yuki is it? I now know his beautiful name. It means snow, doesn't it? Yuki . . . such a perfect name."

Tohru's eyes widened. "What . . . What do you want with their names?"

She chuckled, a sound rivaling shattering glass. "It's no fun to tell you, dearie, when I can simply ask you to tell me whenever I want!" Her eyes flickered back to the picture in disgust. "So this Yuki is sensitive? Then he must not have strong bonds with some family members. No self-respecting boy like him would. Think of all the hidden secrets!"

Something plucked at Tohru's consciousness, a whispery feeling prodding her into spilling every word. It could have made her spill her soul for this woman if it wanted. "Yuki isn't very fond of his brother, but they are meeting half-way and that's all that counts. Kyo always wants to defeat him to become a member of the Zodiac."

"Ah, so Kyo must be the cat." She flipped out another picture from her wonder bra. "And who is the name of this brother of Yuki's?"

Tohru blurted before she even thought, "Ayame." Then she gasped, "NO! NO! I mean umm...I mean Ushishe! Yeah! That's it!" What had she done? Those whispers told her to say it! Told her it was okay to say the name! But what, oh what could bring her to think such a childish thought?

She watched helplessly as the witch flipped out another blank piece of paper to find Ayame's picture faded upon it. Like magic. Like mesmerism.

"So the rat is the snake's younger brother? Hilarious!" the sultry witch laughed. "And the snake eats the rat, how symbolic. I have to remember that one." She grinned and slid all of the pictures back into her dress.

A witch, yes, this woman was a witch, and her children were the demons. Spawns from a devil. From some unearthly being who was worse than the cat's true from. Worse than evil itself. These people were not right. They were not real.

Neither was this place, this ever-ending place of never that hovered between reality and some sort of fantasy. Some place where nothing exists, where nothing and something collide to form things. Wishes. Places.

_A place of ever-after , Kyo . . . please come quickly. _She sniffed_, Please come as quick as you can. _

_**- - -**_

Ayami, Hatori, and Momiji hopped out of the black car and charged for the front door. Yuki opened the sliding door and let the gush of family in. The snow had started to fall a bit faster, mimicking the movement and worry of the Sohma's. Things have gone quickly since Uo left and Hana had fallen asleep near the wall. Too fast for even his liking. Megumi stood beside him and yawned. It must have been late.

But watches weren't in order. Yuki would not rest until Tohru was found.

"Where's Tohru?" Momiji asked worriedly.

"We don't know," he glanced up to his elders, "but we have a very good assumption to who kidnapped her."

In reply, the two elders agreed and went to find Shigure.

"Poor poor Tohru," Momiji sighed and glanced over to Megumi. "Are you one of Tohru's friends?"

Megumi nodded, rubbing his bandaged hand --- thanks to Shigure --- and said quietly when everyone else had entered the house, "You have the curse too?"

Momiji stopped in his tracks and looked back with a questioning eyebrow, "How do you know about the curse?"

He sighed and sat down on the porch, Momiji mimicked his movements. "It's rather more of a gift than a curse with my family."

Momiji blinked.

"My sister, Hana and I are both special. We're the only ones with these gifts in the household. The first and last born. I can sense curses and put curses on others --- though they aren't as extensive as your family's curse at all. My sister can read electric signals, more or less she is a physic like me." Megumi tucked his knees to his chest, looking out onto the frosted winter forest.

Momiji understood and looked out onto the snow too. "My family's curse has been with us for a long, long time. Not everyone in the family is like us though, only certain ones of us are cursed --- and we've all have gotten a chance to meet Tohru. Twelve of us are inhabited by the animals of the Chinese Zodiac, and whenever we are hugged by the opposite sex, or whenever we are under a lot of stress --- " He looked over to Megumi and extended a hand. "I'm Momiji, the Rabbit of the Chinese Zodiac."

Megumi took the hand and shook, "I'm Megumi, Tohru's friend's brother."

Momiji giggled slightly. "You know Megumi, we're a lot alike, not like anyone else around us."

Megumi grinned mystically and nodded. "Yes, we are."

The two boys talked until, from far ahead, the shimmering lights of a motorbike pulled up. The rider took off her helmet and let her bike fall into the crusting snow.

"Miss Ou is back," Megumi said levelly and stood, wiping the snow from his coat. "I wonder what she went to go get."

"There are others?"

"Tohru has two gracious friends who watch out for her hand have for so many years. I've been lucky to know Tohru ---" Megumi pulled away from his words as Ou stormed up, a white trench coat with a red butterfly billowing behind her. Megumi grinned, "I should have known."

Ou ruffled his hair as she passed into the house, the boys following after quickly.

Hatori and Shigure looked up from the sober discussion to find Ou fishing pieces of papers from her pockets and casually pasting them together. They observed that one was a map, one was a record of some procession, and one was a page torn from the phonebook.

Shigure leaned over the table in question, "What are you doing Miss Outani?"

"Find Tohru, what else? Some friends of mine say the guy who took off with her down the street -- and some store security cameras caught it in the act too. Good thing Tohru was in a heavily populated area." She said quickly, running her long fingers down the phone book page to a name, then searched the map. "I did some quick research and found that the guy's name is Joshi Magima." She heard both Shigure and Hatori suck in their breaths, along with Momiji as Hana aroused from her wall slumber and looked around. Their energy levels had spiked.

"What is it Ou?" Hana asked rather sleepily as she rubbed her eyes. "You've found the man?"

"Hell yes, I have!"

The physic traveled her mystic eyes to the zodiac dog. "And you know the man."

Shigure nodded and stood on shaking legs. "I just remembered I have something I need to do," he faltered, "I'll be back soon."

They watched him leave with his car keys and waited for the engine to rev before they took their eyes away.

Hatori stared at the closed door for a long moment before turning his gaze towards Ou and Hana. Deep pits reflected in his eyes. Pits that unconsciously signaled the rest of the Sohmas to leave without question. Yuki and Kyo attempted to interfere, but a single subdued glare sent them slowly out the door without a say in the matter.

Hana's suspicions rose.

"I am sorry you had to be a part of this," Hatori told the two girls quietly. Like he had rehearsed such a speech for them, and them alone. "But this is our business and we do not like people to interfere. Joshi is part of a family intent to hunt the Sohmas. We do not want any more casualties, if you can understand."

Ou blinked in confusion and glanced to Hana, who understood perfectly along with Megumi, hands clasped in her lap. Yet those hands tightened as the doctor's voice became increasingly coated with tenderness. Hana never trusted such an emotion.

Instead, she smoothed her dress out calmly and spoke in control over her calmly quivering feelings. "I have known for a while now, Mr. Hatori, about your family's predicament."

"Then you will be pleased to have it relieved."

Ou caught on in horror. "Erase our memories! While Tohru's out there somewhere with some bastard family! No! I will not ---"

"Ou, please," Hana interrupted and turned her eyes up to stare into his. "My mother also knew how to erase a person's memory. A simple charm I daresay. But your means are much different." She paused, trying to understand the signals coming from this man, and weighed her chances at once. Ideas were stirring, fed by the malicious fear ebbing at the back of her mind. "But," she breathed, "your memory charm will not work on me or my brother."

Hatori also showed considerable control. It was a bluff, it had to be. "How?"

"We are different also, and if you try, my brother can curse you along with the dragon curse already inflicted upon you."

"I have a feeling he cannot do anything more than give me warts, and I am a doctor, so warts are not a problem with medicine."

The dark young lady took a daring step towards the man, her chest out, her chin up. "Then do so, Hatori-san. Erase all I have so that I might not remember Tohru, or her words, or her face. Erase everything of her from my mind." She stood with poise and posture, a calmness that radiated from her very being. Her very soul. "But try as you might, you will never erase her from my mind. Because, as Tohru also believes, friendship is stronger than curses and miracles combined."

Even Ou agreed to it. How else could they have met Tohru? It was no miracle, or a curse, it was a string that wouldn't be forgotten, a subtle pull of something familiar that wound its way around every soul. Every single pinky. And in that sense, even magic could not erase Tohru from their minds, just as ink could not be erased from paper.

"So stay true, Hatori-san! Stay true to your reputation and wipe away all that I cherish! All that I hold dear!"

So Hatori placed his hand upon her forehead and closed his eyes, his mesmerism seeping into her skin, her bone, and slowly polished away Tohru from every surface.

"But may it curse you," Hana whispered in dismay, "just as you do me, for memories, Hatori-san, memories are eternal."


	6. Reflections of Witches

A/N: Finally, I write. I apologize for previous grammatical errors. I just copied and pasted from Pash's copy.

Update schedule: Whenever I can. Remember that.

Warnings: Slight slash, nothing major.

Chapter Six: Reflections of Witches

Dawn broke on a new day, the deep blue sky turning purple, red, gold, and finally a calm blue. Saki Hanajima and Arisa Uotani woke up in a dilapidated one-room apartment, with no recollection of how they got there, who the other person in the room was, or why they had snuggled up to each other in the night. _Thankfully we kept our clothes on, but why don't I remember her? She seems so familiar._ Arisa was having a crisis, because, she thought, she didn't swing that way. Hana, on the other hand, was reading the waves of this mystery person.

_Interesting. These waves seem familiar to me in some way, but I have no idea who this person is. How strange. I can't seem remember anything before this morning and after my family moved to this town. Maybe Mother will be able to help me. I mean, she can erase memories, but not this extensively._ Hana smiled and spoke. "Dear friend, as we are certainly close, would you mind telling me your name? I am known as Saki Hanajima, Hana to my friends." _Hana, where, and what, did that spring from?_

"Arisa Uotani or Uo. It's a pleasure to meet you, and wake up next to you, but how exactly did we get here? It seems like my mind is a blank except for random memories scattered throughout sixth grade and up. Everything else is fine. No offense or anything, but I'm straight."

Hana smiled evilly. "I was hoping you could answer that, Uo. It seems my mind is a blank from seventh onward. By the way, I'm straight as well. We should visit my mother. She should know something about a spell like this."

"Why's that?" Uo was thoroughly confused.

"She can do something similar to this to people, though I doubt on a scale this large. Your waves seem especially unsure for you, Uo. By the way, where on earth did you find that trench coat with the red butterfly on the back?"

"I don't know. I should know, but I don't. A name comes to mind in a mist of white with a red butterfly flying along in the dark on a motorbike. Kyoko. The Red Butterfly! Kyoko Honda! Now, where is she?" Uo smiled at her small victory.

"I shall see if I can find this 'Kyoko Honda's' waves. If not, we shall have to find her grave. Wait… I see a tombstone. You're standing there, and we're wearing something that amounts to mourning clothes. There are others there as well, but their faces are obscured, and we're laughing, joking, and having a picnic. Come, we go now, to the cemetery I have seen." With that, she bundled herself inside the cape and walked out of the apartment and into the city streets.

Dawn had broken on the ramshackle old shack. The snow kept dripping through the holes in the roof, though it was colder than it was last night. The witch shivered as she gathered her greasy black hair into a ponytail. Her thin, ragged clothes did nothing to keep the heat in as she stood up, humming a soft, sad song. Her children, the demons she had summoned were snoring in a corner together, while Tohru was in the one across the room from her. The demons' glamour was wearing off, and she was beginning to lose control of her own appearance.

_It needs to happen, and it needs to happen fast. I can't control myself much longer. The spell of coercion will need to be amplified a bit to adjust to the timeline. If I can get some of her blood, it will work, and I can cast it once more._ She contemplated what she needed for the spell, looking in the fourth corner of the home, where she stored her ingredients. _I'll need more cabbage, mercury, and something belonging to her that's not just her blood._ She smiled, but stayed out of the way of the sunlight. It wouldn't do to turn presently, now would it? She maneuvered her way to Tohru in patches of shade.

Roughly, she shook the girl awake, pulled her to the center of the room, and let sunshine fall upon her. Tohru stared in awe as the moon-pale witch clothed in shadow turned bronze; when her shadows disappeared, they were replaced with a tattered dress in a light shade of rose. The aura of menace increased so that it was tangible, and Tohru slowly tried to back away, but was stopped by one of the demons. He gripped her firmly, and she gazed, transfixed as the witch smiled at her, beautiful with clean hair and a face unblemished or marked.

"Hello, Tohru. Surprised at my transformation? I would be too, in your place. The sun causes me to do this ever since I found myself on the bad side of a former 'God.' It increases my powers, but I become more and more haggard as it approaches the next hour of change." As she spoke, her olive eyes, once unbearably perfect, grew dark circles under them. "It's such a pity to have to harm you, my precious, but when you're getting revenge, you break a few eggs. I just need some of your blood, and your hair ribbon." At Tohru's silent protests, the witch smiled again, attempting to ease Tohru's fears. "Oh, I see. The ribbon was a gift from one of the unbearably awful Sohmas. Don't worry, you'll get it back." She suddenly pulled out a cell phone from the wonder bra, and dialed a number.

"Joshi, I need a few things that you can get." She listened for a second. "It's nothing dangerous dear, just more heads of cabbage, vials of mercury, and some actual food for the girl. And do pick up more tea while you're gone. We're on our last bag, and I was so looking forward to some nice hot tea this morning." Another moment passed. "Yes, that's all. Love you, child of mine." She hung up.

"Well, let's get down to business. You are not allowed to talk unless I have asked you a question, got that? You will not know my name. The demons you see here will be getting hungry sooner rather than later, unfortunately. You are not to acknowledge them. They will feed while you and I are asleep. Don't assume that because I'm human I'll be pleasant." She stopped talking, and grabbed a barrel from the corner and placed it in the center of the hut, lighting a fire in the bottom. She removed paneling from the top of the barrel, and placed a cauldron on top of it.

She moved back to the corner and grabbed odd things, seemingly useless junk. A strip of iron, a piece of paper, a clear liquid from a long necked container went into the cauldron, and simmered (The liquid went down the witch's throat as well). They simmered in the cauldron as the witch added water every hour. Joshi arrived around noon, and he tossed in groceries from a crack in the roof. The witch smiled, and blew a kiss as she poured a vial of mercury into the cauldron. The cabbage was given to Tohru to shred and stomp before being added.

At three in the afternoon, the witch smiled. It was a true Cheshire Cat grin. She pulled a knife from her dress, and whistled. A different demon grabbed Tohru this time, and the witch forced her sleeve up. She cut above the elbow, deep enough to draw blood and cause pain, but not so Tohru would be hurt immensely. The witch pulled Tohru to the cauldron, and held her arm over the mixture. It had turned a deep brown, and with the addition of blood, turned clear. Strangely, there was nothing floating inside it anymore. The witch took the cauldron off the heat, and dropped the ribbon inside the potion.

She pulled another cauldron out, this one from underneath the floor boards, and she added a mouse's skeleton, a catnip mouse, and a snakeskin. She let the ingredients grow hot, and then took it off the fire. She deftly grabbed a cup, shined it, and dipped it in the previous potion, handing the glass to Tohru. In the witch's other hand, she held the ribbon in her long fingers. "Well, drink up. You'll need your strength; you haven't eaten in so long." Tohru did as she was told, wincing at the bitter taste,

"There we are, give me that back now." Tohru handed the glass back carefully, worrying about it breaking. "Now, let me see. Whom have we covered so far? Ahh, that's right, the effeminate one with his brother and rival. Tell me, who are the Mabudachi Trio? I completely forgot about them when I was talking last night."

Tohru did everything she could to stop herself from speaking, but the voices in her head had grown stronger. They seized control of her mind, and she heard herself speak against her control. "Ayame, is one of the members, he and Shigure pretend they're lovers, and it's kinda scary." The witch flipped a picture of Shigure out of her bra, and smiled.

"Yes. So, the dog has a sense of humor this time. There's obviously one more person in the trio, who is he?"

"Hatori, he's a doctor and the dragon, but it manifests as a seahorse. He took care of me when I was sick, and he's a good person."

"Evidently so, but he wasn't good enough to escape the curse." The witch stood up, pulled a picture of Hatori from her bra, smiled at him, and tossed a dog collar, nine scales, and one glass of sea water into the cauldron before placing it back over the fire.

Tohru was horrified at what she had done. The witch was creating a potion, and it seemed like something related to all of the Zodiac members was going to end up in it, someway or another. She began to cry. _Please, anyone, if you can hear me, hurry. Just get here as soon as possible. Hana, Uo, where are you two?_ She began to cry more, and suddenly all was blackness.

Early morning brought a homey aura to the temple that even Uo could feel. Hana walked past the priest and gardener, straight to a staircase that led up a hill to the cemetery. The blue sky made Uo receive a sense of déja vus, as if she had been there before.

"Hurry, Uo. We have almost arrived at the grave. We will look at it and see if it sparks anything, then leave for my house." When Hana spoke, her voice began to break, losing its steady monotone – showing emotion – as she heard herself speak to a faceless person with orange hair._ "Why do you stand in front of a grave with such feelings of regret?"_

Uo saw herself and Hana sitting down, playing a game of Dai Hin Min. She seemed to be angry with the person across from her, and there was a girl standing in front of the grave, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, her lips moving. Uo was shocked, was she talking to the grave? Her eyes spotted the word 'mom' form on the girl's lips several times.

"Uo, we must leave this place, and find out who the mysterious girl with the brown hair is. However, it is most likely that she is Kyoko's daughter. We shall leave the cemetery and travel to meet my mother now." She led the way out of the temple yard, the black cape billowing out behind her as she seemingly glided effortlessly to the subway. Uo followed close behind her.

Hatori was guilt-ridden. It took all of his control to erase the two girl's minds. He couldn't bring himself to do the boy's as well. Momiji needed a friend, and Megumi was that person he needed. The two boys had become extremely close in the short time they had known each other (twelve hours). He had looked in on them before he went to bed, and saw them talking at three in the morning. They seemed to get along well, Megumi had even laughed when he heard of Hatori's mishap with Tohru in the middle of the street. Momiji laughed at the Prince Yuki fan club's idiocy at searching Hana's room.

"You know, they won't remember that anymore. Ha'ri took care of that. It's a shame, they were very nice, mother hawks to Tohru."

"Tohru believes that friendship is more powerful than magic or miracles. It's destiny that they met, and destiny they remember. They'll go to my mother; she specializes in things like this, so she may be able to reverse it. Hatori should have taken Uo's coat, that'll trigger something, which in turn will trigger something else, and so on and so forth until they finally remember each other and everything." Megumi rested his head on Momiji's shoulder, slightly yawning. The pair fell asleep on the floor with Megumi's head on Momiji's chest.

_**Fin**_


	7. Tragic Magic

Chapter Seven

Tragic Magic

It was late afternoon, and the sun shown through the blinds into the Hanajimas' parlor, giving it a yellow glow that seemed out of place. Hana's mother had short red hair, and she listened to the girls' problem. She thought about it for a while, and then spoke.

"Well, last night, I remember you saying you were visiting a friend's house. I know neither of you did drugs or drank, so it must have been a spell. Let me probe your minds for the answer. Clear your mind, dear." She took Uo's hand, and Uo found herself with a strange headache. It seemed like her head was too cramped. Mrs. Hanajima, viewing Uo's mind saw a blank white canvas that seemed to be covering her memories. The woman attempted to move the curtain, but it was nailed to a frame. She let go of Uo's hand and sighed.

"Mother, what is it?" Hana was worried, Uo didn't show signs of getting any memories back, and her mother was exhausted, a first.

"I'll be fine, just get me a glass of water. NOW!" Hana scurried to the kitchen, and filled a glass with ice water so fast, it took about thirty seconds. Her mother drained the class before taking Hana's hand. "Just clear your mind." She gazed at her daughter's blank memories and the white canvas before deciding to try to do something she hadn't done in a long time. Mrs. Hanajima let go, and before Hana had regained control of herself, her mother stood up and walked to the cupboard.

"Where are those ingredients I need? Here's the cabbage, and now, where's that vanilla? There's the cocoa powder." She gathered the three ingredients, and put them into a Dutch oven, and started heating it up, while adding a liter of milk. When the mixture was boiling, she added Iron Goddess of Mercy tea leaves to the brew, and removed it from the heat so it could steep.

When the tea had steeped enough, Mrs. Hanajima strained the resulting concoction into the blender, added crushed ginkgo biobla tablets and set it on 'mix' for four minutes. When that was finished, she took two large glasses out of the cupboard, and she divided the surprisingly green mixture equally between the two.

"Drink up, girls." The two toasted each other silently and drank. Darkness settled on the edge of their vision, clouding it.

Momiji was the first to wake. Sore from sleeping on the floor, he felt a strange weight on his chest, and he nearly called out. Then, he saw Megumi sleeping so easily, his face illuminated by the sunset._ He is a hidden beauty, a one-of-a-kind gem._ Megumi shifted on Momiji's chest, burying his face in the older boy's shirt. He finally gave a huge yawn and sat up. Suddenly, he realized what he had done, and jumped away.

"How long was I like that?" Megumi seemed genuinely scared, and he crept towards the door.

"As far as I can tell, since we fell asleep. I woke up, and you were resting so peacefully, so I let you sleep! Is it a problem for you?" Momiji slowly inched closer to Megumi, as one would approach a wounded wild animal. When he got too close, without any warning, Megumi ran. Momiji ran after him, but Megumi was too fast.

When Hatori decided to go for a walk around the Sohma Compound, what he didn't count on was being ran into by a scared boy all dressed in black. When Momiji turned the corner, and caught up with Megumi, he saw Hatori attempting to comfort a black shade wrapped around his torso. Momiji managed to pry Megumi off of Hatori, and he enveloped the shade in a hug. When they broke apart, Megumi leaned forward and kissed Momiji on the lips.

When Tohru woke again, it was nighttime, and the witch had put a blanket on her, with a plate of salmon on the floor. Tohru ate the fish quickly, wishing for some sort of drink. The witch smiled when she saw Tohru had awakened. "Would you like a glass of water?" At Tohru's nod, the witch gave her a glass of water. It stung going down, and Tohru realized it was the potion from earlier. The witch smiled a smug little smile, and began to speak, her eyes less haggard than earlier, but getting there.

"Let us see… We've covered Yuki, Kyo, and the Mabudachi Trio. Now, I know for a fact that there is an unhappy girl who's madly in love with Kyo. Unrequited love is so sickening, no?"

Again, the voices in her head spoke, but this time, Tohru expected it. She did battle with the voices, but suffered defeat. At the sound of her voice, she nearly jumped. It was rusty from disuse, but it still sounded foreign. "Kagura is not sickening! She just has a major crush on Kyo, but is so stubborn that she refuses to believe he doesn't like her back."

"So she's the boar, then?" The witch spoke while drawing a picture from the wonder bra. "She has such a beautiful, innocent face. It's too bad she's as morally good as a demon." The witch tossed the paper into a pile with the other sheets, as she picked up a curly muddy thing, and as she tossed it into the cauldron, Tohru realized it was a pig's tail. The thought of an evil witch casting some sort of spell on those she loved made it unbearable.

"You are a nasty, foul creature! You don't deserve to live, and you should be put to death!" Tohru was screaming at the witch, and she was furious, a new and strange emotion to her.

"Oh, don't hold back, deary. Tell me how you really feel. And while you're at it, would you mind telling me about the horse and the ox? I'm sure they make a fine couple. That is, if you don't mind a cow straddling a horse!" She giggled at her own joke, pulling a picture of the two out, and Tohru glared daggers at the witch.

"I don't know why you're so obsessed with insulting the Sohmas. I mean, it's a pointless move, as they have more good qualities in fourteen atoms combined than you do in your entire body and soul. By the way, Haru and Rin are not sick and disgusting. They are nice and kind. Even though Rin has some issues, she still is a good person."

"You waltzed right into that one." Tossing the sheet of paper onto the pile, she added a liter of milk, and eight black hairs belonging to a horse. The witch stirred the mixture with her finger, smiling when she saw the macabre stew had turned violet. She looked up at the moon, and wiggled her fingers as if she was waving. A rope that seemed to be as silver as the moon's light appeared in the witch's waiting hands. She tossed it around Tohru. As the witch did so, the rope bound Tohru into a knot she knew she would never have a hope of untying. "There, now I can finish talking to you."

Yuki and Kyo were not taking the expulsion of Uo and Hana well. It was merely another straw on the camel's back. However, said metaphorical camel's halves getting along as well as a cat and a mouse. Yuki was sulking, and the slightest thing wrong annoyed him. Kyo was cooking compulsively, and the kitchen was filled with baked goods and foods. Shigure wasn't complaining much, because he could eat, and not worry about cleaning. Yuki had been cleaning so much, whenever someone so much as touched anything; he immediately vanished to avoid the wrath of Yuki for disturbing his clean house.

The mood dampened even further when the three of them felt burdened all of a sudden. It was as if someone was practicing voodoo. (Which the witch was, in a way.) Ayame and Hatori told them that they felt it too, and they worried about Tohru even more than usual. Akito had fled to the main house, sensing she wasn't welcome.

Shigure had driven to attempt to find Joshi several times, in the latest two days, but his known haunts were deserted. Shigure abandoned hope, while Yuki and Kyo put their faith in friendship being stronger than miracles.

The memories she saw.

_Looking at a tall dark-haired man, while it snowed: "Tohru believes friendship is stronger than miracles and curses combined."_

_Standing in front of a grave, speaking to a orange-haired boy, while Uo, a purple-haired one, and a girl with haunting brown eyes and hair listened: "Why do you stand in front of a grave with such feelings of regret?"_

_Dressed up, on stage, in a play, speaking to that odd purple-haired boy: "Burn the palace down."_

_Crying with her best friends at Kyoko's funeral._

_Watching the Prince Yuki Fan Club freak out when they found her brother._

_Meeting that beautiful brown-haired girl: "Hi, I'm Tohru, who are you?"_

_Tohru. It all made sense now. It was as if that one name broke a barrier, and memories flooded her mind._

Hana woke with a jolt. Uo was still under, thankfully, and her mom was watching her. "You've been out for several hours, hon. It's ten-o'-clock at night." Hana walked out the door, ignoring her mother but for a single sent thought.

_Don't wait up for me, Mother. If Uo truly regains her memory, then she'll know where I went._

Uo was watching a sea of memories. Most annoyed her immensely, as she couldn't figure out who the brown-haired girl was.

_Bumping into her again: "I'm sorry, Uo, let me pick these up."_

_Seeing a funeral, standing next to the two girls she cared the most about in the world._

_Running from class, following her as she ran to the office. Hana was beside her, and Uo could tell they were worried. Arriving at the office when she heard, "Tohru, I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but your mother is dead. She was hit by a car, and she died instantly."_

_Tohru, what an odd name for a sweet girl. But, it brings out her hidden flavor._

With that, she remembered. Everything: both the good, and the bad. She remembered Hana and Megumi. She remembered Orangey and the Prince. She even knew where Hana would have gone. Uo's eyes jerked open. Noticing the change, Mrs. Hanajima spoke.

"Arisa, remember this one thing before you leave. Wherever there is a white witch, like myself, there is a darker witch of equal strength somewhere close by." Hana's mother spoke cautiously to the inert girl. "Hurry now, you should leave before it's too late."

"Hatori, I am gonna kill you once we rescue Tohru." Silently fuming, she got up, walked out the door, and started running.

An explanation to the potion ingredients:

Compulsion

Iron: decreases magical resistance

Alcohol: decreases inhibitions

Paper: helps victim think in words

Cabbage: destroys any and all poisons that are created

Mercury: quick, looses lips

Blood: increases potency for one person; but the potion then only works for said person

Personal effect: again, increases potency, but doesn't restrict like blood

Water: liquid base

Memory:

Cabbage

Vanilla: helps reminisce

Cocoa powder: acts as bonding agent

Milk: another type of a liquid base

Iron Goddess of Mercy tea leaves: Increases mental strength

Ginkgo biobla tablets: increases memory

Much Thanks to everyone! Sorry about the Cliffy (My Akii-chan, I'm starting to sound like one of those babbling blond writers who feels the need to say something everywhere [HELP ME!].)!

Much Love,

Dora


	8. Finishing A Potion

Chapter Eight:

I'm dreadfully sorry about any and all OOC-ness. I can write Tohru like nobody (Except Takaya-sensei), but I cannot do anything reasonably well except for lovesick people and villains whose motivations I know. Anyhoo, a BIG shout-out to all who reviewed! Here's chapter eight!

Finishing A Potion

Tohru stared, gawking at the obvious display of power. The witch sighed, looking like she hadn't a day of sleep in her life. "The purity of the moon is spoiled by lies. With this and the compulsion potion, you'll just tell me what I need to know. If you lie, the rope will turn red and slowly constrict around you, strangling you like a python." Humming, she turned back to the cauldron, thinking.

"Now, deary, I'm gonna be very blunt. I need you to answer these questions so I can finish the potion I'm brewing. You're very close with a little girl. She wouldn't talk much until you met her, so she must mean a lot to you. Wouldn't it be a shame if something happened to her, such as finding out her 'Sissy' is dead, and she reverted back to a silent habit?" Tohru stared at the witch, horrified. As if she was drinking in Tohru's horror, the witch smiled and pulled out a picture of Kisa from the wonder bra.

"Don't hurt her. I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt Kisa." Too late, Tohru realized her mistake, and she clamped her hands over her mouth. The witch grinned, and rummaged through junk until she found what she was looking for. Two curved fangs found their way into the cauldron, causing steam to rise from the top.

"Well, that was easy, wasn't it? Now, I happen to have a source who tells me she likes the sheep. What's his name? I'd like to know more about him." She pulled Hiro's picture from the bra, and she gently caressed his cheek.

"Hiro's a bit of a brat. He's stubborn, sharp witted, and cruel. But, he's been trying to overcome his faults. He wants to become a good person, so he can help Kisa." Chuckling to her self, the witch found a skein of un-dyed wool. Tossing it into the cauldron, she spoke.

"Well, the sheep loves the tiger, and yet the tiger eats the sheep. How thoroughly sickening the thought is to me." Shuddering from repulsion, the witch smiled somewhat. She managed to find an animal skin that looked shockingly like a rabbit's, feathers from a rooster, and a paw that had its fingers curled in close to it. The witch pulled four pictures out of the wonder bra as she looked up at Tohru. "Well, who do we have here? Another feminine boy, two cross dressers (but only one by choice), two some ones who just want to do the right thing, several demons, and one witch. Let's play Guess Who Everyone Is!" The witch seemed gleeful, almost like a four year old.

"Bachelor Number One: Blond, adorable, and cursed with a rabbit: but who is he on the inside? Bachelor Number Two: Don't be fooled men, this lovely 'lady' is actually a cross dressing monkey! Bachelorette Number Three: Feisty and wild, this girl has a short fuse; people close to her have the scars to prove it! Bachelor Number Four: Brown-haired, confused, an early riser, and in love with a girl he's only met twice. Bachelorette Number Five: A brunette, this klutz is loving and kind to everyone. Bachelors Numbers Six through Ten: Real bad boys, these demons are going to stop at nothing to do what I'll ask them. And, finally, Bachelorette Number Eleven: Raven-haired, this witch will enchant you in more ways than one. So, whose it gonna be? Who do you want to be asked about first? Excluding, of course, Six through Eleven."

Tohru deliberated, but the voices had returned in full strength, screaming at her. "I want to be asked about One."

"Well, there you are! I know he's the rabbit, but that's about all we know." The witch placed a grimy fingernail on Tohru's face, jabbing at her cheek, looking all the more haggard by the second.

"There's really no point in fighting the voices, is there?" At the witch's gleeful nod, Tohru continued. "Momiji is, well, Momiji. He misses his mother, and is very close to Hatori. Ever since his mother chose to forget, he wishes for her to want to remember him. He wants a family." Tohru began to quietly cry. She cried for the pain of speaking, and the price of silence. The witch tossed the rabbit skin into the potion, and then levitated the picture of Ritsu in front of Tohru's face.

Momiji and Megumi had officially told themselves and Hatori that they were going out two hours, twelve minutes, and thirteen (fourteen, fifteen, sixteen…) seconds ago. But who's counting? The pair was lounging around in the sitting room, as they had been known to do for the past two days.

Suddenly, Momiji felt a burst of pain flow through him, from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. When it subsided, he felt heavy, burdened by something, somehow. "Get Hatori," was all he managed to croak out before he fainted.

Shocked, Megumi did the only thing he could do: run and get Hatori. When the pair returned to the sitting room, they saw Momiji lying down, barely breathing. Hatori went into shock. "So, she's doing it to everyone then. And here I was being selfish and hoping it was just me. This must be why Ayame and Shigure haven't dropped by." He cracked open a vial of smelling salts, and held it under Momiji's nose.

Startled by the smell, the smallish teen jumped up, and shivered. Megumi rushed to his side, rubbing his arms. Hatori sighed at their obvious infatuation. _Young love will be young love._

Hana and Uo were standing outside the Sohma's (Yuki, Shigure and Kyo) home. "Hanajima, are you sure this is a good idea?" Uo's skepticism ran to Hana as well.

"I don't know, but this is our best shot. As it stands currently, we can't have any false starts or red herrings. We need to find Tohru before dawn, that's what the waves tell me. I can hear Kyoko shouting in my ear. She's saying 'Find my daughter by dawn, or she'll never rejoin either the world of the living or the world of the spirits.'" Hana's deep eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She visibly steeled herself then knocked on the front door.

Uo joined her, and mused on the similarities of today and the slumber party. _No, we have a time limit. We need to move._ Yuki answered the door, visibly shocked. "What's up, Prince? Not expecting us?" The girls swept past him, and into the dining room. Shigure paled at the sight of them, and Kyo walked through a path between stacks of Tupperware containers.

"Yo, ya damn rat, who's at the door?"

"Greetings to you, Kyo. I didn't know you baked. We've come to rescue Tohru, and it must be done before dawn. I fear the worst." Hana's grief tinged her voice, and she allowed her eyes to glisten once more with unshed tears.

"My God, Hanajima, pull yourself together." Uo and Kyo spoke as one. Hana sat herself at the table, and motioned for the others to do the same.

"From what Kyoko has told me, we know Tohru is in grave danger. We know that if we do not succeed by dawn, she's doomed. Why anyone would want Tohru is beyond my comprehension."

Shigure gasped. "Joshi's mother wanted her. I know that she's a witch that needs names to cast spells. Tohru wouldn't be sporting to Joshi's mom. She likes her informers insane." Uo pondered for a moment, then added her own idea.

"Well, then if she wanted information about the Sohmas, she'd know better than to take one of you herself. Even if we had known about you, most stuff like that doesn't work on Hana, and I'd keep my head, not telling anything to her. Obviously she wanted Tohru because Tohru's fatal flaw is that she cares too much about everyone. When those close to her were threatened, she'd cave."

"Miss Hanajima, do you know anything about curses?" Yuki decided to add his two cents to the group.

"I would say so, why?" Hana looked at his eyes, black boring into purple. When she looked away, she spoke again. "You were wracked by pain, fainted, and now feel immeasurably burdened. I should have known." Kyo and Shigure gaped at the accurate description of the symptoms they, too, had been suffering. Hana stared at the floor.

"Hana, what is it?" Uo touched underneath Hana's chin and pulled it upwards so they could hear her speak.

"They suffer from early symptoms of being added to a soul-devouring potion." Hana fainted dead away.

"So, this 'Ritsu' is actually quite nice once you get to know the inside. Well, we'll see how he reacts with this!" The witch cackled, enraging Tohru as she pranced around the shack before tossing in the monkey's paw. Levitating Kureno's bra-picture to Tohru's face, she spoke again.

"Your best friend deserves better than a bastard who can't even hug her lest he turns into a rooster. Doesn't she? I know I wouldn't want my best friend to fall in love with someone like that. But, if you don't care, I hope she doesn't like chicken." Tohru flinched involuntarily as the voices told her to tell the witch everything, and she glared at the witch for making a cruel joke..

"Kureno's kind and caring. He may lack courage at times, but he just wants to help. Even Akito. Tohru tried, and failed to repress a shudder at the mention of her name.

The witch paused in her jovial tossing of the feathers into the cauldron. "And tell me, who is Akito? I know he's a she. I want to know more about her."

"She's bitchy as hell, and doesn't want anyone to leave her. She's afraid of finding herself all alone." The witch tossed the rest of the feathers in, and grabbed her phone, dialing as she flipped it open.

"Joshi, I need basic flower materials. … Just a twig will do. … In the next hour would be perfect. It'll be dawn within three hours, so hurry." The witch flipped the phone shut, and released the compulsion spells on Tohru. The rope, however, stayed in place. She began to walk around the room. "Now, I can tell you what I'm doing, and why. I won't tell you my name, though.

"A long time ago, about three hundred years, to be precise, I was fully human, like your friend with the waves. I only could do parlor tricks with magic. However, the then-God of the Zodiac fell in love with me. I scorned him, thinking him not for me. He cursed me with my true name, and I became the shade you saw here. He bound me to this shack, forever entwined with the Sohmas. I do their dirty work, and their curses. I've summoned demons and created love potions. But, now I want revenge. For too long it's been going on like this.

"So, I hatched the plot to kidnap you and seek revenge upon the Sohmas. This potion once completed and ingested by the Sohmas, will destroy their souls and end their miserable existence. It's not harmless to you or anyone outside the curse, so I'll have you make a large dinner for everyone and slip it into the food. As she spoke, a twig fell through a hole in the ceiling.

"Thanks honey. Please make sure they find her soon. Make up a lie, and lead them here if you have to." She wiggled her fingers, danced a jig, and blew upon it. She muttered "Red daffodils are wilting, you are wilting, and you are a wilting red daffodil." The twig obediently shifted into a droopy red daffodil.

"How fitting to have the God of the Zodiac be symbolized by a wilting flower." She giggled as she tossed the flower into the cauldron. It released a blue steam, and she poured in pink tea. "It's pomegranate tea." The cauldron glowed rose for a second, and then grew clear as glass. The witch put a top over the cauldron, and shrinking it handed it to Tohru.

The moon rope, other cauldron, and pictures of people vanished. The witch smiled at Tohru. "They'll be here soon. You'd best get some rest. I'll put a spell on you so you can't remember me telling this to you, and a compulsion to have them drink the potion somehow. It acts like water, by the way, if you wanted to make tea with it."

Tohru nodded, curling up on the hard wood floor by the drum with the fire. Slowly, everything turned black.

Fin

(Persephone is the reason behind the tea. Greek mythology)


End file.
